Offset, solid ink printers have many advantages over traditional ink jet technology. They generally have higher print speed, better color gamut, water fast results, can use many different types of media, etc. A solid ink printer typically uses a solid ink that is melted and jetted onto an intermediate transfer surface prior to being transferred and fixed onto the media. A printer as that term is used here could be any device using a print engine, including copiers, fax machines, printers, multi-function devices (MFDs) that can print, fax, copy and scan, etc. The intermediate transfer surface may be referred to as a drum for convenience, with no intention of limiting the transfer surface to a drum configuration. The intermediate transfer surface may be supported by a drum or a belt.
In solid ink printers, the ink and the transfer surface must be at a relatively high temperature compared to aqueous ink jet printers. In order to avoid long warm-up and purging processes that result from solidified inks, the print head generally keeps the ink molten when not in continuous use. Elevated temperatures tend to consume more power. Lower temperatures use less power, but also lengthen the amount of time before the printer is ready to print again.